UVU sophomore Carter Welling drives to the basket during the WAC game against Grand Canyon at the Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025.
Men's college basketball fans in Utah County have been treated to something special in the last month, something that rarely happens.
Since Feb. 8, neither of the Division I programs in the area -- BYU and UVU, of course -- have lost.
Yes, you read that right.
After the Cougars dropped their record to 15-8 on the season with a disappointing 84-66 contest at Cincinnati on Feb. 8, BYU has rattled off eight consecutive victories including three over ranked opponents.
The Cougars capped the run Saturday night in the Marriott Center in Provo by handling the physicality of rival Utah on their way to a 85-74 victory.
And just a few miles up University Parkway in Orem, the Wolverines have been nearly as impressive.
Although UVU hasn't had the opportunity to take down any ranked foes, the Wolverines have taken down every challenger since Feb. 1. That was the day UVU fell to 15-7 on the year after it lost, 75-57, at Grand Canyon.
Since then, though, the Wolverines have rattled off eight consecutive wins of their own including sweeping through the Texas Two-Step to conclude the regular season by knocking off Abilene Christian on Thursday and Tarleton State on Saturday.
It was enough to give UVU the outright regular-season WAC title and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
So we've seen 16 wins in 16 games for the Cougars and Wolverines ... which means the two teams have been batting 1.000 down the stretch.
Take a second and think about just how impressive that achievement is.
Only nine teams in the nation currently have longer win streaks: Central Connecticut State (14 games), High Point and UC San Diego (13), Chattanooga (12), Houston and Vermont (10), Louisville, McNeese and South Carolina State (9).
BYU and UVU are tied for 10th with Duke, Clemson and Robert Morris with their eight consecutive victories.
There have been some common themes for the two programs, including coming up big on defense and making key plays when the outcome was in doubt.
I think both coaches -- UVU's Todd Phillips and BYU's Kevin Young -- have done extremely well, particularly considering the hands they were dealt.
Phillips is in his second year at the helm in Orem but had to deal with some significant roster turnover before the 2024-25 season.
Young had never been in charge of a college team before this season but compiled a roster that is deep, talented and versatile.
Both deserve to be proud of what their teams have accomplished this year, particularly as they elevated their execution level and determination over the final month of the regular season.
The reality for both teams, though, is that they still have a lot to prove.
The Wolverines should be thrilled with their success, but they know this is when the games matter exponentially more.
UVU has never played in the NCAA tournament since it became a Division I program in 2009, despite having teams that appeared to be very capable of getting there. The Wolverines have yet to make it to a WAC championship game, so just getting that opportunity would be a step in the right direction.
BYU has a much more storied history in college basketball, having played since 1902, but the Cougars haven't won an NCAA tournament game since 2012 and hasn't defeated an opponent with a better seed than No. 10 since 1991.
Sure, BYU would love to make a run to the Big 12 tournament title but since the Cougars are virtually assured to get an at-large berth in the Big Dance, the significance of the league playoff is somewhat diminished.
Will we see BYU get to the second round of the NCAA tournament?
No one knows the answers to those questions yet, but both teams have positioned themselves to have a chance.
But whether there are celebrations or disappointments (or both) in store for the Cougars and the Wolverines, it in no way diminishes what they have already done.
So I send a heartfelt congratulations to both teams on being excellent this year overall and elite over the last month.